Description
The winter of 2020 was reported as being one of the driest and hottest on record across the South West of Western Australia. This was followed by a warmer than average spring with close to average rainfall figures. Both temperatures and rainfall were above average for the Summer of 2020-21. Rainfall was above average for the west coast of Western Australia due to several well formed tropical lows producing widespread moderate to heavy rainfall along their passage. These conditions meant that the 2021 vintage was a challenging one across all of Western Australia’s wine growing regions. The 2021 vintage commenced almost two weeks earlier than the long term average. The Frankland River Region was subject to a number of rainfall events throughout the season which had a significant impact on harvesting decisions. Careful decisions were made regarding the Shiraz harvest to ensure we were picking fruit in optimum condition and ripeness.
About Houghton Wines
Houghton is one of Australia’s oldest wineries, dating all the way back to 1836. Houghton wines is known for its colourful history including tales of pioneer Scots, bandits, and generations of winemaking craftsmanship.
Only four years after the fledgling town of Perth was established, three British Army officers (Thomas Yule, Ninian Lowis and Richmond Houghton) purchased a prime piece of land in the Swan Valley and established Houghton.
We captured the nation’s attention in 1937 when winemaker Jack Mann created Houghton White Burgundy. Now known as White Classic, this is still one of the most popular Australian white wines today.
AWARDS
The reason Houghton is one of Western Australia’s most awarded wineries has everything to do with the people behind the wines.
In the past three decades alone, Houghton wines have won over 250 trophies and 4,800 medals at domestic and international wine shows.
As one of Australia’s oldest and most revered wineries, Houghton has a legacy of consistent, quality winemaking and an impressive history that spans only 14 senior winemakers. Throughout its history, Houghton has received a monumental 828 Gold Medals and 285 Trophies.
Courtney Treacher
After earning a Bachelor of Science (Viticulture and Oenology) at Curtin University, Courtney began her career in vineyards in the Perth Hills, Swan Valley, Margaret River at Redgate Wines, and Hunter Valley at Tamburlaine Wines. Courtney joined Houghton Wines in 2004 and has since delivered 20 vintages across Houghton, Swan Valley, and Nannup. In 2020, we proudly appointed Courtney to Senior Winemaker for Houghton Wines.
Courtney enjoys leading a dynamic team and taking on the challenge of making exceptional wines of varied styles under the Houghton, Brookland Valley, Goundrey, Amberley and Moondah Brook ranges. Courtney has judged at many local and national wine shows, and she was a scholar at the prestigious Len Evans Tutorial in 2011. An experience she describes as once in a lifetime.
Courtney has a longstanding passion for winemaking, falling in love with the transformational art behind crafting grapes into wine.
When she is not enjoying a traditional Chardonnay, Riesling or Cabernet, you can find Courtney enjoying photography or travelling to exotic locations. This includes across her home state of Western Australia.
